SILVER SPRING, Md., May 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The high-stakes world of competitive barbecuing is back! Destination America is serving up a mouth-watering helping of pulled-pork perfection and beautifully braised beef with six new episodes of the smokin' series, BBQ PITMASTERS. Formerly on TLC, the new season is taking fans back to the basics of true barbecue competitions where the steaks are red hot and the sauce is all on the line. Traveling to the best barbecue festivals in the country, this new season showcases 15 of America's best hard-core barbecue grillers all competing for one of five spots in a final cook-off in which the winner boasts the ultimate barbecue bragging rights and a $50,000 cash prize from Kingsford Charcoal, and entry into the inaugural Kingsford Invitational. An all-star panel of judges, including series veteran Myron Mixon, decides the competitors' fate by blind tasting the grilled creations to determine whose barbecue is worth the sauce and whose should be dropped to the side of the grill. Alongside Mixon is former season one competitor Tuffy Stone and newcomer Aaron Franklin. As the first original premiere on Destination America, the new season of BBQ PITMASTERS premieres with a sneak peek episode airing Wednesday, May 30 at 10 PM (E/P), with regular premieres beginning Sunday, June 3 at 9 PM (E/P).

"As we enter the summer grilling season, what better series to anchor our launch week than an all-new edition of BBQ PITMASTERS, where barbecue battles reign and the true spirit of American competition shines?" said Marc Etkind, SVP of content strategy for Destination America. "Throughout the summer and fall, we'll roll out a 'recipe' of distinctive genres – food, travel, adventure, natural history, home – designed to celebrate all things uniquely American."

Each episode of BBQ PITMASTERS transports viewers in the competitive barbecue subculture, proving that barbecue is much more than just delicious food, it's a full-blown competitive sport. In a cutthroat world of high-"steaks" competitions and prize money, reputation and respect ride on the virtue of one perfectly glazed rib or one lip-smacking bite of brisket. Each of the first five episodes will feature three new competitors tasked with cooking two different meats for the judges, one short-cook and one slow-cook. A winner is crowned each week, and the five finalists will fire off in a winner-take-all finale where the ultimate champion takes home $50,000, a ticket to the first annual Kingsford Invitational this Veterans Day weekend, and the coveted title of Kingsford BBQ Pitmasters Grand Champion.

From beef showcases such as brisket and ribs, to slow-cooked swine in pork butt and pulled pork, each episode offers insider barbecue tips and techniques that viewers can try at home to make their own melt-in-your-mouth creations. Additional barbecue recipes, secrets, and tips are posted online at http://destinationamerica.com.

ABOUT THE JUDGES:

Myron Mixon: As a three-time world barbecue champion, Myron Mixon is the winningest man in all of barbecue. He is the chief cook of the Jack's Old South Bar-B-Que Team and a New York Timesbestselling cookbook author. Since his first competition in 1996, Myron has won more than 180 grand championships and has built a barbecue brand with his own line of sauces, seasons, and custom-built smokers.

Tuffy Stone: Classically trained French chef and former Marine, Tuffy Stone, aka "The Professor," began researching slow cooking barbecue methods and in 2004, the Cool Smoke Team was born. Since then, Cool Smoke has won 30 grand championships in large part due to Tuffy's unique obsession with the physics and science of wood, smoke, spices, and molecular composition of meat to the point at which he creates barbecue perfection.

Aaron Franklin: At the encouragement of friends, Aaron Franklin began barbecuing his brisket out of a trailer on an East Austin parking lot in late 2009. He and his wife debuted Franklin BBQ to rave reviews from patrons and press alike, with Bon Appetit even hailing their barbecue as the best in America. The Franklins have since outgrown their trailer, but Franklin BBQ's line is as long as ever, and the restaurant has sold out of brisket every day of its existence.

BBQ PITMASTERS is produced for Destination America by Original Media. For Original Media, Jay Peterson, Charlie Corwin, and John Markus are executive producers. For Destination America, Ron Simon and Fay Yu are executive producers, Sara Kozak is SVP of production, Marc Etkind is SVP of content strategy, and Henry Schleiff is president and general manager.

ABOUT DESTINATION AMERICA

Destination America is the first network to celebrate the people, places, and stories of the United States. The inclusive network targeting Adults 25-54 will be available in 59.5 million homes, emblazoning television screens with the grit and tenacity, honesty and work ethic, humor and adventurousness that characterize our nation. Destination America will feature travel, food, adventure, home, and natural history, with original series covering such diverse subjects as American food favorites, mysteries like Jesse James' lost fortune and Area 51, American heroes and innovators, as well as iconic landmarks and wonders like Yellowstone National Park and the Everglades. Destination America is part of Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in 200 countries and territories.